Why Danny Graham Would Be Mad to Leave Swansea for Touted Destinations
Why Danny Graham Would Be Mad to Leave Swansea for Touted Destinations
Danny Graham has been linked with several moves away from Swansea City this month.
Relegation battlers Reading were linked first (via the Sun), before Sunderland was touted as a destination for the former Watford hit man (via the Daily Mail).
Before you knew it, Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa were in the mix as well (via the Daily Mail).
The question is, why leave Swansea for any of these destinations?
Swansea Flying High
Michael Laudrup is doing the impossible—he's taken Brendan Rodgers' great work at the Liberty Stadium and taken it to the next level.
Not only are they strong at home and full of goals, but their away form has picked up and they're in a cup semifinal. Danny Graham may have fallen to second in line for the striker's role, but does that necessitate a move?
He's an English Premier League striker at a club who aren't going anywhere.
Sunderland Have a First Choice
Danny Graham has fallen behind Michu in the pecking order, but that situation doesn't improve at Sunderland.
They spent £12 million on Steven Fletcher this summer, and the Scottish international has responded with eight league goals to carry his side up the table of late.
Ji Dong-Won may have been shipped to Augsburg on loan, but young prospect Connor Wickham and forgotten men Louis Saha and Frazier Campbell wait in the wings.
Graham would play second fiddle again.
Aston Villa Do Too
The link to Aston Villa is even more confusing.
Not only does Paul Lambert have a preferred first-choice striker in Christian Benteke, but he also has £24 million man Darren Bent in and out of health and club academy product Andi Weimann capturing the hearts of the Villa Park faithful.
Mix in lifelong fan and speedster Gabby Agbonlahor and you've found the strongest area in a relegation-threatened team. This is, quite possibly, the last place Paul Lambert will look to strengthen.
At Reading, It's Complicated
While Sunderland and Aston Villa have established first-choice strikers, Reading could be a decent fit.
Brian McDermott hasn't been able to trust a single partnership this season, switching formations and personnel with regularity.
Pavel Pogrebnyak is the de facto No. 1 striker at the Madejski, while Adam Le Fondre, Noel Hunt and Jason Roberts play substantial roles themselves.
By most accounts, Reading are likely headed for relegation. The last thing Danny Graham wants is to be back in the Championship.
QPR Is a Landmine
The ideal time to join Queens Park Rangers is the summer of 2013—provided they're still in the English Premier League.
There's something not quite right about the atmosphere at Loftus Road, and Harry Redknapp admitted himself the players are trying to blame each other for an awful start (via BBC Sport).
QPR could really use a scoring machine, but there are no certainties—regarding playing time or division—attached to this possible move.